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Two major global trade unions (ICFTU and WCL) unite to create the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), gathering 180 million members
The ICFTU and the WCL were dissolved in Vienna on October 31st. They will unite with non-affiliated trade unions, including the French CGT, to create the ITUC. The foundation congress will take...
France: discussions between trade unions and employers over labour market reform begins
Trade unions and employers, at the instigation of the latter, met on October 23rd to discuss the possible opening of negotiations over labor market reform. (Ref 061080)
Spain: Leroy Merlin forced to observe the weekly rest period of 48 successive hours
Leroy Merlin is required to apply the right to a weekly rest of 48 continuous hours for its employees. Other wholesale chains are also being challenged by judges for the same problem. (Ref. 061079)
Poland: trade union training courses to learn economics and finance
Brand new in Poland: during seventeen months, 1800 trade union activists will learn to read a balance sheet or will discover the secrets of management accounting. Starting this week, they will...
Germany : privatization of Deutsche Bahn now seems uncertain
Once more, the parties of the big coalition (CDU and SPD) failed to agree, during an important meeting on October 26th in Berlin, on how to privatize Deutsche Bahn AG. The following day, Transport...
Malta: government wants to change the mode of calculation of trade union enrolments
The Maltese government wants to reform the rules applying to trade unions as regards the determination of their enrolment. This comes after a controversy triggered by a trade union which had not...
Spain: HR directors have less and less influence on companies’ strategic decisions
HR directors are losing power when it comes to firms' management and strategic decisions, according to a study conducted by the ESADE institute in Barcelona. The study found that HR directors do...
Great Britain: 1 in 5 workers says he/she is victim of harassment at work
One in five British workers has been victim of harassment or persecution at work during the last two years, according to an investigation of the Chartered Institute of Personal and Development...
Deutsche Telekom: 45 000 T-Com employees will be transferred to the new T-Service unit
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has just announced its intention to transfer some 45 000 employees of T-Com to its new subsidiary T-Service, with the aim to bring back salaries to a competitive level. DT...
Germany : BenQ’s bankruptcy affects its outside contractors
The bankruptcy of the cell phone producer BenQ (ex-Siemens), means the loss of 1900 jobs out of 3000. The outside contractors are also affected and are starting to lay off. IG Metall says 6000...
Germany: retirement at 67 years old takes form
The big coalition in power has set, on October 24th, 2006, the details of its retirement reform, which provides for a gradual increase of the legal retirement age from 65 to 67 years old between...
Allianz SE : « participation » chapter now in the agreement on workers’ involvement in the European company
The German insurance group Allianz, which announced its transformation into a European company, concluded an agreement on the involvement of workers in the European company (see article n°06938)...
Luxembourg: youths challenge the measures intended to reduce their unemployment rate
Youngsters in Luxembourg are very angry. This anger reminds that which took place in France earlier this year over the youths job contract intended to favor the integration of young persons on the...
Lithuania: trade unions and employers propose to increase minimum wage
Trade unions and employers would like the minimum wage to be raised, from 600 litas (173.77 euros) to 700 litas (202.73 euros) on January 1st 2007, but the Government has not yet approved this...
Latvia : Employers encourage government to set up migration policy
The country faces worrying labor shortages due to massive emigration. The employers' confederation LDDK is asking the government to change policies in order to reduce emigration and to increase...
EU : the European Commission organizes its second seminary on transnational collective negotiation
The European Commission will organize, on November 27th, 2006, a second seminary bringing together the European social partners on the topic of transnational negotiations. The day will be devoted...
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1
EU: Commission launches consultation with social partners on quality jobs
On 4 December, the European Commission launched the first phase of consultation with social partners with a view to a European directive on jobs, which is scheduled for the end of 2026. It could...
4 December 2025
2
EDF bans alcohol on all its sites
From 1 January 2026, French energy giant EDF (180,000 employees) will prohibit alcohol consumption at all internal and external corporate events, from social gatherings to seminars. The policy...
26 November 2025
3
United Kingdom: government scraps plan to introduce ‘day one’ protection against unfair dismissal
The UK government announced on 27 November, in a statement, that it would not be introducing the right to challenge unfair dismissal (without cause) from the first day of employment in its...
3 December 2025
4
Poland: bill adopted to amend definition of psychological harassment
On 27 November, the Polish cabinet adopted a draft amendment to the labour code aimed at simplifying the definition of psychological harassment at work, or “mobbing” (Article 94 3)...
4 December 2025
5
EU: MEPs demand directive on algorithmic management
Members of the European Parliament have called for a directive on algorithmic management. Such legislation would introduce obligations for companies to inform employees, assess health and safety...
17 December 2025
6
Austria: European rules on wage transparency expected to cause a cultural shock
With the gender pay gap in Austria being the second largest in the European Union (18.3%), the Austrian government has promised to introduce a bill next spring to transpose the European directive...
27 November 2025